Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.14.16
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyProtect the Spiritual Life of Others
“The sages continued: O great hero, for this reason you should not be the cause of spoiling the spiritual life of the general populace. If their spiritual life is spoiled because of your activities, you will certainly fall down from your opulent and royal position.”
What the purport teaches
- The sages warned Vena not to spoil the spiritual life of the people. Their spiritual welfare was a cause of prosperity.
- A king who damages the people’s spiritual life will fall from his royal position. Authority does not remove responsibility for spiritual harm.
- The purport describes monarchy’s decline from religious life into godless sense gratification. Replacing monarchy with democracy is insufficient unless rulers follow great religious personalities.
Try this today
Make one small adjustment today so that your activities do not interrupt someone else’s spiritual practice.
Ask yourself
Does my influence support others’ spiritual life or make it harder?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.